17 soldiers killed in Pakistan suicide attack

At least 17 soldiers were killed in a suicide attack on their checkpost in North Waziristan on Saturday night. While the Army confirmed the death of 17 soldiers, reports from the area suggested that the toll was over 20.

No organisation had claimed responsibility for the attack till Sunday evening. The suicide bomber rammed a water tanker laden with explosives into the checkpost. The checkpost was jointly manned by the Army and the Frontier Corps — a paramilitary force that oversees security in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

Terrorist hub

North Waziristan is regarded as the hub of terrorists attacking both Pakistan and Afghanistan. The U.S. has for long been asking Pakistan to take out the terrorists holed up in the tribal agency, particularly the Haqqani network, held responsible by the coalition forces for many of the attacks inside Afghanistan.

In recent months — owing to the reconciliation process being attempted in Afghanistan —the U.S. has given up its “do more” in North Waziristan demand.

Group Sites

Recent Article in South Asia

As Nepal’s Constituent Assembly goes into another deadlock, opposition parties led by the UCPN (Maoist) came out on the streets to protest. Where is this headed, and what role can India play in the peace process? Former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai speaks to Diplomatic Editor Suhasini Haidar. »